Two charged after wooden towers were erected at Kirby Misperton fracking site

The wooden towers were installed on Habton Road, near the fracking site in the village, yesterday.

Police said a man, 56, and woman, 39, have now been charged with causing a danger to road users.

The woman has also been charged with obstructing a police constable.

Superintendent Lindsey Robson, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “We will continue to take a neighbourhood policing approach to any protest activity - that means we will talk to people, to explain what is acceptable in terms of safety and reasonableness, and ask them to work with us to make this a safe and peaceful protest.

“We would rather talk to people and persuade them to move than have to resort to force and make arrests.

“It is a challenge to balance the rights, needs and wishes of all parties involved, including the right of people to assemble and protest peacefully, balanced against the right of local people to go about their daily lives safely and without disruption.

“However, once the balance has tipped from peaceful protest to deliberate acts that are unlawful and cause unreasonable disruption to others, then the public would expect the police to take action.

“Police liaison officers have been engaging with the protest community, and will continue to do so, explaining clearly to them what is acceptable in terms of safety and reasonableness, and what action will be taken if necessary.”